Impeachment protest Monday and Library update

This is an announcement abourt the protest in Chapel Hill at noon Monday.  At first I thought this had to do with the July 23rd national day of action on the Downing Street Memos in 2005, which is about the time when I got involved in impeachment campaigning.  The media is being invited, so let's make it a big event and make them pay attention to the mass support for impeaching Bush-Cheney! 

 

> > > MONDAY /JULY 23RD AT TWELVE O'CLOCK
> > >
> > > AT FRANKLIN STREET POST OFFICE
> > >
> > > IN CHAPEL HILL
> > >
> > > 300 ORANGE BALLOONS
> > >
> > > WILL BE GIVEN AWAY
> > >
> > > COME AND BRING YOUR SUPPORT FOR IMPEACHMENT
> > >
> > > AND BE SUPPORTED BY THOSE
> > >
> > > AROUND YOU
> > >
> > > IF YOU CAN, WEAR ORANGE ON MONDAY
> > >
> > > JULY 23, A COLOR THAT HAS COME TO STAND FOR
> > >
> > > NONVIOLENT REVOLUTION
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > *
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > MONDAY JULY 23RD CINDY SHEEHAN WILL LEAD A MARCH
> FROM ARLINGTON NATIONAL
> > > CEMETERY (AT 10AM) TO CAPITOL HILL, TO THE
> OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN JOHN
> > > CONYERS TO ASK HIM TO MOVE FORWARD WITH
> IMPEACHMENT OF THE PRESIDENT, GEORGE
> > > BUSH AND VICE-PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > This event has been accomplished by private
> funds of average people and
> > > businesses tired of the goings on of the
> Government. There will be no
> > > speeches, brochures or requests for funds; just
> people to people. Please
> > > come. Thank you.
 

> > > CEMETERY (AT 10AM) TO CAPITOL HILL, TO THE
> OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN JOHN
> > > CONYERS TO ASK HIM TO MOVE FORWARD WITH
> IMPEACHMENT OF THE PRESIDENT, GEORGE
> > > BUSH AND VICE-PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > This event has been accomplished by private
> funds of average people and
> > > businesses tired of the goings on of the
> Government. There will be no
> > > speeches, brochures or requests for funds; just
> people to people. Please
> > > come. Thank you.
 

I wouldn't link this to Ukraine's so-called "revolution" a few years ago, which was really just a fight between two different wings of capital, not between different classes, like the revolutions in England, America (I would guess), France, or Russia.  Orange is a logical color for impeachment because peaches are an orange color (im-peach).  Thus Andy Silver's orange to impeach campaign, which has either spread across the country or been independently duplicated all over.   

 

The Durham Library Situation

 

I was told by a librarian that one or both of Parkwood's meeting rooms will cost starting in September, and this is a systemwide policy.  The fee will be $50 dollars for anything up to 4 hours and $100 dollars over that.  The rooms will also be opened up to for-profit activities, though those users will pay double the cost,

 

Apparently this is part of a longstanding wish by the County Commissioners for changes in the Library system.  Overdue book fines will be reduced, for example, by restoring the four-day grace period (which I think is a helpful idea), and the Commissioners introduced the fee to make up for the lost revenue.  There is at least some discontent among the librarians. 

 

As I said yesterday, I think this policy discourages citizens from organizing groups and events by depriving those without funds of a very user-friendly and publicly funded meeting space.  Taxes are supposed to support the libraries and surely they could have saved some money by making cuts elsewhere if they couldn't increase the Library's appropriation in the budget.  I'm glad for-profit users will have to pay more, thus potentially discouraging them from competing with non-profits for the spaces, but at the same time it seems a bit arbitrary and unfair to make them pay double the price.  Possibly the small meeting room at Parkwood will stay free, but I predict it will then be hard to book, because that Library is already sometimes very busy.  I belong to three groups that meet about monthly in the libraries, two of them at Parkwood, and as I said, I would have to pay for one of those groups.   

 

There is a complaint list, at least at Parkwood, and concerned people can also call, email, or write to the County Commissioners to complain (contact info is on the County Government website and in the League of Women Voters publications at the libraries).  The Library had several public meetings earlier in the summer, but as far as I know they did not advertise that this fee was being eyed and I don't know if it was discussed at those events.